Exiled
by Mort Dans La Nuit
Summary: After Percy Jackson gets exiled, life is pretty hard. No-one knows where he went... Not even the huntresses of Lady Artemis can find him. A new mysterious figure is rescuing demigods and he's considered a threat. With a new camper's arrival, things tend to get well... even more complicated. The Second Titan War didn't happen yet.
1. Cat Got Your Tongue

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own PJO or anything else I happen to put in this fanfic, such as songs or businesses. I don't even own the OCs in here **

**(that's how lame I am). The OCs were made by cartoonprincess and the author has given me permission to use the OCs.**

**A/N: Anybody like the idea of making this a PercyxArtemis? Review or PM me.**

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**Cat Got Your Tongue?**

_**5 Years Earlier**_

Percy and the Oracle were talking about not too fond of a topic. "I'm telling you! You and Annabeth are not meant to be together," Rachel explained in an exasperated tone. "So what? Annabeth and I have dated for years now! Nothing you can do or say will change that! And honestly what makes you so sure of that," Percy yelled back. "Because I've seen a divine being in the future. And your whole life will change! I can't prevent that, but it'll give you less heartache if you break up with Annabeth now," Rachel said desperately. Percy scrunched up his face in confusion, but quickly regained his composure. "Divine being? Whatever! I'm going to– uhh. Hang out with Annabeth!" His sea green eyes flared and he was gone, stomping his feet in a defiant way, leaving a very frustrated Rachel behind.

_**Zoooooooom Forward to Present**_

I woke up with a yawn and stretched my back. A million things popped up in my head at once, but when I looked out at the lake, I instantly calmed. I ran a mental list through my head:

1.) Backpack? Check.  
2.) Clothes still on me? Check.  
3.) Why I did #2? Complicated story best told later.  
4.) My kyma strapped on me? Check.  
5.) Guitar still on me? Check  
6.) Still alive in this miserable life? Check.

You see I say miserable life, because let's face it, I had a miserable life. No I didn't have to go to school or had other teen drama. So now you're saying, 'Lucky you! I have to go to school every day at 7:00 a.m. and you're probably homeschooled!' Another problem. I wasn't homeschooled. And while we're at it, I didn't even have a home!

And what's worse is I was going crazy! I didn't know if I was delusional or whatever, because monsters were hunting me! I didn't mean imaginative monsters that lived in the dark. Real monsters with _real claws _and _fangs_. The worst part was that nobody else could see them.

So yes, in conclusion, I had a pretty miserable life. Convinced now? And that was running through my mind. My mental checklist and all the things that led up to this moment. Why I had to keep moving. How to stay alive.

As I ran through the mental checklist one more time, I added something to remind myself of who I was.

_My name is Stephanie Torres. I am 13 years old. I have to keep moving to survive. I need to find a home._

I trekked through the dirty streets of the city, looking for a spot to play my guitar. You see, the way I earn money is to play songs on the street. My whole day is play eat lunch, play some more in a different spot, and then get out of the city before the cops get me. Not that I was a criminal or anything, but when the cops catch you, you're sent to an orphanage. I don't stay there long, because I sneak out the same night and make my way out of the city. I had no specific destination in mind, but I learned from past experiences that I couldn't stay in one spot for too long, because of the monsters.

As I made my way along the street, I could feel a presence behind me so strong that the back of my neck tingled. I kept glancing behind me and caught a little movement of the person each time. Sneakers, some pants, and- was that fur under there? Yup, definitely crazy. As I turned a street corner, I heard some feet scuttle and I turned around to find, yet again, nothing. I let frustration and disappointment fill my features as I continued my walk down the streets. I walked for about one more block and stopped in front of some statues of lions. My stalker noticed I stopped, and the person followed suit. I blew hair out of my face in frustration. Then a tempting thought popped up in my head. _What if I just ran full speed?_

A mischievous smile appeared on my face as I pretended to continue to examine the statues. A split second later, I dashed down the street. About half a block down, I turned on a street corner and backed up into an alley. I hid behind a dumpster and waited silently for my pursuer to appear.

A moment later he did, and bent over panting from the effort. "Where did that kid go?" His question echoed down the alley, and that just confirmed he was my stalker. Besides that the time was probably around 4 A.M., judging from how the sun just peeked over the horizon. Nah, I'm pretty sure it was just the fact that he said that. The sunlight that managed to creep its way around the skyscrapers of the city illuminated his face.

He was young, about my age. His scowl ruined his somewhat cute face and he put his hands on his hips. I got out of my hiding spot, getting more confident with each step. After all, he was only about 2 inches taller than me, and he had no visible weapon.

"Am I that kid? And who you callin' kid, you're about my age," I called out. He turned to look at me and his eyes opened wide with- what? Shock, surprise, amazement? I couldn't tell from his expression, and at that moment, I didn't really care. He quickly regained his composure, and looked at me straight in the eye. "Yeah you are," he said. "What the heck are you doing, following me around," I asked him, approaching him. He backed up, holding up his hands in a defensive way. "Uhh- I was just- umm... You know," he stammered weakly. "No I don't know. Please explain," I pushed, smirking at his nervousness. "Well you see I- uhh..." He froze mid-sentence and seemed to stare in the space behind me. "What? Cat got your tongue?" I smirked. "A rather big cat," he responded. My confusion was soon answered by a low growl. As I turned around, I froze from sheer fright.

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**Who is this mysterious figure, and what will happen? You can only find out if you review, because that is the only way I'm going to post another chapter (I'm evil like that). PM me if you think anything should be changed! Thanks for your support and help!**


	2. Stranger Danger

**Hi you guys! I present chapter 2! Thanks to all that read, reviewed and PM'd me! I sincerely appreciate the support! Love you all and enjoy chapter two! Critics and Grammar Nazis welcomed! FYI 115 people viewed this! That may not be a lot to you but this is my 2****nd**** fanfic, so I'm pretty proud! Let me stop talking and let you read! (If you actually read this, then write 'I'm awesome' in your review).**

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**_Stranger Danger_**

It stared at me with cold and unforgiving eyes and it was crouched, ready to pounce at any moment. "What the heck?" I recognized it… It was one of the lions I had passed. The _statues_. "Move back slowly and don't look into its eyes," the boy whispered in my ear. "Uhh- too late," I nervously chuckled. The statue lion growled and I had a feeling it was saying, _Shut up_, and I complied without a complaint.

We kept on backing up until we heard another growl. The guy must have frozen, because I backed up right into him. We both tumbled to the ground, and I ungracefully hit the cement. I heard another growl and frowned. No it wasn't one growl, it was _two._ "Why'd you stop?" I asked. "Because I was going to back up right into another lion's mouth," the boy replied a little nervously. "I was afraid you were going to say that," I said, turning around. Instead of staring into one pair of eyes, I was staring into two. "I don't suppose backing up is an option now," I asked. "Run," he yelled, alarming the statues. He grabbed my wrist and we bolted down the street, the statue lions bounding after us.

"Annabeth! Annabeth!" He shouted. "What, who's Annabeth," I asked, panting. When Annabeth didn't come and save us, he started making weird animal noises. "What the-? Are you neighing," I asked, staring at him in bewilderment. "Neighing like a horse? Yup. Now be quiet! The pegasi can't hear us if you keep talking," he yelled back. OK, running away from scary lion statues with another crazy kid. No, that wasn't weird.

We ran down the street, the statue lions catching up by the second. We were slowing down and getting tired of running. The lions seemed to be actually _picking up_ their pace. We were going to be some cat chow in a matter of minutes, and that wasn't exactly high on my priority list.

We zigzagged through the city, frantically turning corners. The guy tripped as we turned another street corner. He stumbled and face planted in the cement. He sat up groaning, "Ow," and the lions caught up to us. They crouched and growled at us, seeming to sense our disadvantage. "Uhh- good kitty," he tried nervously. The lions growled back, apparently showing its distaste for its new nickname. "Yeah, I agree. So good lion," he tried again. "What the heck are you doing? Talking to it," I asked him in bewilderment. "Exactly! Now run while I still have its attention," he told me.

He was right; I only had a few minutes, maybe seconds before I was dead meat… Literally. "What about you," I asked him. "I-I'll be okay," he stammered. When our eyes met, I instantly knew that was a lie. "Run!" He shouted and the cat pounced.

Time seemed to slow as the cat went for his throat. He crossed his arms and tried to protect himself. Then my body moved. _Towards the lions_. I don't know who was more surprised. The big cats or me.

I jumped and landed on the head of the cat that was lunging. The unexpected weight veered his head off course and it smacked the pavement. I took a step onto its back and stared at the other lion. Either lions aren't very smart or the thing had no brain, because it leaped at me. I managed to jump out of the way and saw the two lions crash into each other. The guy, fortunately, had the sense to move to safety before the lions came tumbling to the ground.

I landed on the ground, stumbling. The boy stared at me with wide eyes. "How did you do that," he asked me in amazement. "I honestly don't know," I admitted. We both stared at the now rubble of rocks. "Finally," he said. "What," I asked, looking at him. He was looking up and now I realized I was vaguely aware of flapping above me. I nearly fainted at the sight.

There were flying horses above us. Then something clicked in my head. _"Neighing like a horse? Yup. Now be quiet! The pegasi can't hear us if you keep talking!" _Those flying horses were the pegasi! But weren't those myths? You know, non-existent, fairy tales, not suppose to be real.

But as they landed on the empty street with a thump, and the boy clambered on, all I managed to do was stare in shock. "Is that all you're going to do, or are you coming?" I looked to find that the owner of the voice was a pretty blonde girl who looked like she was in college. "Umm- uhh… Flying horses," I stammered stupidly. "Yeah. But that can't be the first. I mean-" she gestured towards the pile of rubble and I nodded. "But flying horses! Man," I said. She shrugged. "So are you coming or not," she asked. For the first time I noticed that here were 3 pegasi. "I don't really know you," I said awkwardly. She scrunched up her face as if thinking about what I just said, but I could tell she could care less. "Well, it's your choice. I just don't see what you got to lose," she replied. I looked down at my clothes and realized what she meant. I was a dirty kid on the street with no home or family. "Besides, I'm just like you. I know a place where you'll be safe and where there'll be others just like you." I looked up and saw real sincerity in her eyes.

Well screw the 'Stranger, Danger' rule. I think this occasion was an exception and as I clambered on, a sharp pain stabbed me in my stomach. I bent over in my saddle and coughed up blood in my hand. I gripped my stomach and the pain intensified. I looked at my hand and I realized I was bleeding. Guess that stupid lion did get me after all.

My vision blurred and darkened. I lost my balance and I slipped off the saddle, hitting my head… Hard. The last thing I saw was the two new strangers I met that day.

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**Chapter 2 finished! Love it, hate it? Review and I will change. If you have any ideas put it in your review or PM me!**


	3. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood

**Heeeeyyyy you guys. Thanks for the views and reviews! If you read this, say 'Holla' in your review. Love you all! ****I added more of the OCs from cartoonprincess... She's awesome go read some of her stories (after you read mine ;])**

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**_Welcome to Camp Half-Blood_**

In the back of my mind, I could hear the shuffling of people's feet and content snores. _Where am I?_

I willed my eyes open, and they finally did. I saw a blonde-haired girl with shocking electric blue eyes. Her eyes widened as if surprised to see that I was alive. "What? Where am I?" She just stared at me and held up a spoon of liquid. She kept prodding at my mouth. "Open up. Drink," she ordered. I opened my mouth and she poured the substance in. It tasted like hot chocolate. Yum…

Just as another person appeared, my eyelids felt heavy. I closed my eyes but no matter how hard I tried, my eyes wouldn't open. It was like it was the hardest thing to do in the world. Eventually I just went back to sleep.

There was prodding at my shoulder, and I managed to open my eyes. I found a whole bunch of people gathered around my bed. I looked over to my right to see the boy I had met… One day ago? Two days? Could it have been weeks, months, or years?

I managed to sit up in my bed and lazily glanced around. My eyes met a horse and stopped. What was a horse doing here "Welcome," a voice said. I looked up to find a man saddled on top of the horse… Wait not saddled- a _part_ of the horse. My eyes opened wide in shock as I stared at the sight around me. I saw a bunch of guys with furry goat legs, people, and that weird half-horse half-man guy.

A hand touched my shoulder and I practically jumped off the bed. I landed on the floor with a thud on my left shoulder. "Où suis-je?" I exclaimed. The people and hybrids looked at each other in confusion.

"Umm… English please," asked another girl. I looked over and found the girl next to the boy- the duo that saved me. "Oh, forgot I was in America. Where am I," I asked them, rubbing my left shoulder. She looked up at the horse-guy as if asking for permission and he shrugged.

"I'm Annabeth and this is Blake," she said, gesturing to the boy next to her. "And I am Chiron. The camp's activity director and trainer of demigods," the horse-guy introduced himself. "Camp? Demigods? Activities director?" I asked. "Yes and what might be your name young lady?" He asked formally. "Oh uhh- Stephanie," I answered. "Welcome oh uhh- Stephanie," he said, grinning. I frowned, but all the others laughed. "Okay, enough to see here! Go do your activities while I take Miss Stephanie for a walk around camp," he dismissed. The crowd slowly dispersed until it was just the four of us. "Well according to your earlier performance of jumping and falling off the bed, I'm pretty sure you can walk," Chiron teased. All I could do was nod and follow them out the door.

"That is the Big House. That is here Mr.D and I stay. Mr.D is the camp's director. Over there is the Strawberry Fields. The cabins are over there," Chiron explained. He kept on talking, but soon I zoned out. Eh- who cares if I don't pay attention? I'll ask for directions later.

"Here take some ambrosia," Blake whispered in my ear. He was trying to shove something in my hand and I took it. It was shaped as a square and kinda looked like a brownie."Eat it." I stared at him and he nodded encouragingly. When I stuck it in my mouth, it dissolved in my mouth and it tasted exactly what it looked like- a brownie.

"Well Annabeth and Blake will take you to where you'll be staying. "Chiron's voice cut through our conversation. "Okay."

They led me to some buildings that looked like cabins. "Because we don't know who your godly parent is, you'll be staying in the Hermes Cabin," Annabeth explained. "Although it can get crowded."

She led up to an old-looking cabin. A caduceus hung over the door. The dull brown paint was chipping off. She pushed open the door and we walked inside. There were about 20 kids all crowded in. They were all wrestling each other over something, but as soon as they saw the door open, they stopped.

Apparently, whatever was interesting before no longer captured their attention. They looked at me with curious faces as if I was some new creature recently discovered.

"Who do we have here," asked a young adult's voice. "Yeah who'd you bring Annabeth," another voice echoed. "This is Stephanie. You be nice to her, or Clarisse will have your heads," she threatened. "Alright chill," one of the boys said, stalking up to me. The two stood side by side, and gave me a mischievous smile. They looked like identical twins with their curly brown hair hanging in front of their blue eyes, except one of them was taller than the other. "Name's Conner. This is Travis," the shorter one introduced. "We're better known as the Stoll brothers." Travis said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Stolls," a voice screamed. The brothers took off to the end of the cabin just as a girl appeared with a boy trailing behind her. Her mascara was all messy and they were both drenched. "Where are they?" She had a murderous look in her eyes as we all pointed to the back of the room, not wanting to face her wrath. "Ruined my new leather jacket," the boy complained.

Annabeth blew hair out of her face. "Just how we introduce a new camper," she said in an exhausted tone. The boy looked up and blinked a couple of times. "New camper?"

Blake nodded and spoke up, "Yeah. Stephanie." The boy eyed me and I eyed him back. He had a snapback on with shades perched on top of his hat. He wore a leather jacket over a white v-neck t-shirt and some jeans. He was rather tall with an athletic build.

"Well welcome Stephanie." He said, breaking into a perfect grin. He had straight and pearly white teeth.

Overall, he looked like he could be a model.

"Hello. And your name is?" I asked him politely. "Damian," he said, flashing another smile. "Damian, why aren't you wearing your camp t-shirt," Annabeth asked tiredly. His face scrunched up into a scowl, "Because it ruins my look." Annabeth stared at him as if wondering why she, of all the people in the world, had to deal with him. "Damian, I don't have time for this. Go put on your camp t-shirt now, or you'll get kitchen duties for the next two weeks," Annabeth threatened. Her voice was surprisingly calm, but it seemed like it would be a lot worse than her yelling. "Alright, alright. I'll change," he grumbled in defeat.

As he walked away, he flashed me a lop-sided grin. "Boys… Anyway, this is where you'll be staying. I have to go take care of some other problems," she said. "Blake can continue to show you around."

I turned to Blake when Annabeth walked away. "Well the only things really left are the training grounds and then lunch," he explained with a shrug. "Well you first," I said, gesturing toward the door. He walked and pushed the door opened, "Ladies first." I walked past him. "Such a gentleman," I commented with mock flattery. We both laughed and walked side by side.

"So… Thanks for saving me back there," I said, breaking the silence. "You mean with the statue lions?" I nodded. "Well if you think about it, you're really the one that saved me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah I suppose I did," I said, rubbing my chin in thought. "Hey!" He said, shoving me playfully. "I was joking! You were awesome," I praised him, flinging my arm around his neck. "Really? Thanks!" He exclaimed his eyes lighting up. I gave him a half-hug with my arm already around his neck. "I've meant to ask you, what are you? I mean you got goat legs," I asked him. He chuckled and answered, "I'm what you call a satyr. Chiron is a centaur. Those girls that turn into trees or other plants are called wood nymphs. And about that time I called you 'kid'? Because right now I'm about 28 years old. Satyrs don't really know their exact age." I stared at him in bewilderment, but he just chuckled some more. "We satyrs grow half the rate as humans," he explained. I nodded my head slowly, digesting the information. "What about demigods?" He wrinkled his face in thought and shook his head. "The demigods here are campers along with the naiads, nymphs, and satyrs. Other than that, I think I told you enough. The more you know, the more in danger you are. If Annabeth wants to tell you then she can. Besides, I don't know a lot about that stuff and we're already here," he said, pointing.

We arrived at an arena. There were campers fighting each other with swords and shields. Some were fighting dummies.

"This is the sword arena where you train and fight with swords. There's also an archery range where you practice with bows and arrows," Blake explained. "You train at both places, but you can spend more time at either place." I nodded my understanding and glanced around the area. Something caught the corner of my eye and I squinted to get a better look at it. There were a group of boys surrounding a girl. "Blake what's that?" He looked in the direction I was pointing at, and he suddenly got nervous. "Uhh- nothing. Let's go the opposite way." He suggested, grabbing my wrist and tugging me in the opposite direction. I tugged harder and dragged him towards the group.

As I got closer, I got angrier and Blake got more nervous. The boys prevented the girl from leaving by surrounding her. "So April, where's my sword I told you to get," asked one boy. "Yeah where is it," one of the other dufuses echoed. "I-I don't know w-where it is. I think one of the Hermes kids t-took it," she stuttered. The guy snorted. "Sure, blame somebody else. You're pathetic," he said, shoving her hard on the ground. That was the last straw.

"You're pathetic," I shouted, throwing a rock at the boy's head. The rock hit him square in the back of the head. Now anger was coursing through my veins. He turned around with a murderous look in his eyes. I shot him back a look that would've thrown daggers. "Did you just call me pathetic and throw a rock at me," he asked. "Yeah I did. Problem," I challenged him "You're going to pay for that," he hissed, cracking his knuckles. "3 on 2? You're more pathetic than I thought," I shot back. It was true; 3 big guys versus Blake and me.

He gave a roar of anger and clumsily swung his fist. Just like the incident with the statues, my body moved on its own.

I ducked under his punch, and he stumbled and face-planted in the dirt. I smirked, but forgot about his two other buddies. One of them shoved me down on the ground, but I managed to roll and break my fall. I thought for sure I was done for when I turned around and one of them charged me, but a body knocked him aside. Once again saved by Blake! One of the other guys charged Blake, but I intercepted him. I got a good solid punch on the side of his face and he fell. Blake managed to come back to my side, and we looked at the trio. They got up and the bully growled," Get them." I held my fists up ready to fight, but the two other kids ran away whimpering. "Cowards! You two don't deserve to be sons of Ares!" He shouted at the fleeing boys. He turned back to me and spat blood on the ground. "1 on 1. You and me," he spat angrily. "Gladly," I answered. I just wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off his face. "Stephanie, this isn't a good idea," Blake said, grabbing my shoulder. "This guy needs to be taught a lesson," I said, shrugging off his hand. The boy took another swing, and the fight began again.

Just like last time, I ducked but he kneed me in the face. I stumbled back and landed on my back. I rolled to one side just as his fist slammed the ground. I got up faster than he did and stomped the back of his face. His face smashed the ground with a sickening crunch. I kicked him in the ribs and he groaned. He laid on his back, groaning and holding his nose. "Go away, unless you want more trouble," I growled. His eyes widened and he got up, running away just like the other boys. "I'll get you," he screamed over his shoulder.

I turned to find Blake smiling at me. "Thanks man," I said. "No problem," he chirped. We high-fived and then I turned to the girl. She had white-blonde hair and shocking electric blue eyes. She seemed familiar…

"Oh my gods! Are you okay!" She asked me, getting up. "I'm fine. What about you?" I asked her. "Yes! You didn't have to do that! I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." She looked like she was about to cry. "No, it isn't. Seriously. Those boys had it coming," I replied. "But you didn't have to do that! At least let me take you over to my cabin. I got some special medicine that'll fix you right up," she insisted. "No, really I'm fine. I'm not going to die." Her eyes began to tear up again, and I quickly amended my answer, "Okay, okay." She squealed in delight and grabbed my wrist, running at full speed to our destination.

We stopped in front of 20 cabins. There were 2 huge cabins, 5 medium-sized cabins on either side, and 4 small cabins perpendicular to us. Kind of looked like a square, except for the gap right in front of us. We walked in between the small cabins and headed right for one of the huge cabins on the left side. We stopped in front of the door and she pushed it open. She gestured for me to go in, and as soon as I did the clouds rumbled. I turned to look up at the sky and found the clouds were gray… I could've sworn they weren't earlier. I looked at the blonde girl and her eyes were wide in horror. Suddenly, she pushed me back and I fell to the ground. "What was that for?" I asked, getting up. She shoved me one more time, and lightning flashed between us. Right in the spot I was. "Run!" She yelled and I did.

I darted and zigzagged, desperately trying to avoid the lightning. Campers and satyrs gathered around. Eventually, Annabeth arrived at the scene. "What on earth are you looking- oh. Stephanie," she yelled. I looked at her and her face paled even more. "Not… Exactly… Helping," I shouted back at her, panting. She put on a determined face and just stood there, analyzing the scene. "Again… Not… Helping!" Her face brightened up, and she ran towards the blonde girl. "April," she shouted as she ran. "Tell your father Stephanie is your friend!"

Stephanie wrinkled her face in confusion, but her face lit up in understanding. She shouted, "Father! Lord Zeus, Stephanie is my friend!" Instantly, the lightning stopped, but the sky rumbled as if in disappointment. We all waited for something to happen, but nothing did. The crowd and I breathed a sigh of relief, except for a couple of kids complaining. I looked to see it was the same trio. I sent them a death glare and they scampered away.

I walked towards Annabeth and April, panting from exhaustion. They looked at me funny and I finally managed to choke out, "What?" Annabeth muttered something about Zeus and brothers and rivalry and something else. It probably was important, but I didn't pay attention. What? I was about to get fried, I don't exactly think not paying attention would kill me. Hopefully…

"Well come on in," April invited once again. I looked at the door warily and Annabeth laughed. "Don't worry, April told her dad that you're her friend. He won't attack anymore," Annabeth explained. I took a tentative step forward and… I was blasted to a million pieces. Just kidding, nothing happened. I let out a breath of relief I didn't know I was holding.

We walked in and the sight took my breath away. It was white with a dome-shaped ceiling. Moving mosaics of a cloudy sky and thunder bolts decorated the ceiling. Thunder filled and shook the room. There were alcoves with bronze statues of eagles in them and proudly standing in the far wall of the room was a statue of a god. The room was finely decorated, but it had no furniture. It kind of looked like a very clean bank, except for a pile of belongings in a corner.

"Here let me get the medicine for you," the girl said. She walked over to a cluttered spot and started searching for the medicine. She dug through a bag and pulled out a container. She walked back over and dipped her finger in it. "Hold still," she commanded. She started dabbing at my face, but I pulled away. "What?" I took the container and gave her an "I'm a big girl" face and replied," I can do it. I'm not 5." Just as I was going to dip my finger in the salve I stopped. "Anybody see a mirror?" The girl rolled her eyes at me. "No. Now sit down and let me help you." She shoved me to the ground and started dabbing at my face again. Seeing her take care of me brought up a familiar memory. She was the girl I first saw when I woke up!

"I don't think we properly met. I'm Stephanie. You?" I asked her, holding out my hand. She gave me a half-smile and giggled a bit. "What?" She rolled her eyes and laughed some more. "After all we've been through, you don't know my name and you're worried about 'properly meeting' and not your face?" I looked at her stunned. "Sorry for trying to be polite," I grumbled. "I'm joking. My name's April. Nice to meet you Stephanie," she said, shaking my hand. "You're the girl who took care of me while I was out, weren't you?" She blushed and nodded her head. Before either one of us could speak again, Annabeth interrupted. "Sorry to interrupt, but what happened to Stephanie's face?" April and I stared at each other. She paled a bit… Great, she still thinks it's her fault.

Annabeth stared at us expectantly, waiting for an answer. "Well, April was getting bullied. I decided to intervene, and well… Words turned into fists." Annabeth nodded slowly. "Do you know who their godly parent is April?" She scrunched up her face in thought, and instantly her faced brightened. "Ares." Annabeth's face darkened and her stormy grey eyes hardened. "Gonna have to talk to Clarisse. Well, see you later," she bid, walking away.

We watched her in silence and waited for her to exit the cabin. "Sorry." I looked at April in amazement. "You are _the _most apologetic person I've ever met. It is NOT your fault. I repeat, NOT YOUR FAULT," I said slowly and loudly. "I know, I know. I still feel horrible though," she muttered. "Well, you can't feel sorry for yourself. Let's go." I offered her my hand and she took it. I heaved her up and she landed on her feet. "I hear it's lunch time."

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**Haha used some French or ****français** :) 

**Well you guys... 3000+ words... Hopefully that's enough. If you guys have any ideas or problems, PM me please! Views and REVIEWS (hint, hint) are GREATLY APPRECIATED (hinted, hinted again) and make me smile (really want that to happen :]). Hit 1,300+ views! Please tell others about my story! Thanks for the support, love you all! B.T.W. I created a poll. Go vote now and make my day awesomer (yes that is a real word).**


	4. Oh Damian

**My gosh you guys... I haven't updated in fooooorrrrreeeevvvveeerrrr... My sincerest apologies... Love you all and good day. If you read this type, "Shamalamdingdong XD," in your review.**

***Working on a series of one-shots on both Percebeth and Pertemis. Both are Christmas-based and if you want them earlier, say it in your review or PM me!***

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_**Oh Damian...**_

April led me to the dining pavilion and the smell hit me. I didn't smell food that good since… a while ago.

We walked up and the boisterous laughter filled the air. April smiled sheepishly and Annabeth waved us over. "Right now, you sit with the Hermes kids at their table," she explained, pointing to the most crowded table in the area. I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why can't I sit with you?" Annabeth shrugged and looked mildly amused. "It's just the way it is." I frowned at her answer, but walked to the table.

I managed to squeeze myself on the bench, half of my butt off the seat. Strange women came around with plates of food. They set them down and walked away, coming back with more food, and giving it to hungry campers. One walked by me and set down a plate of food. "Thanks." She smiled kindly and walked away. "Who are those people," I whispered to the kid next to me. He frowned and concentrated in frustration. "Wood nymphs!" He declared proudly. I smiled at the enthusiastic little kid. "Thanks," I said, patting him on the back. He gave me toothy grin and dug into his food. I took a bite out of mine and everybody stared at me. "What?" I asked around the food. "You're supposed to sacrifice some of you food to the gods," the boy next to me piped up. "You can choose a specific god." I looked at the crowd of people watching me expectantly. I sighed; it was good food and I didn't want to sacrifice it. "Here, I'll take you." He took my hand and guided me to a brazier.

The brazier was like a huge bonfire. "Scrape some food off into the fire," he instructed. I did as he told and the fire blazed. "Sacrifice it to a god or goddess," he ordered. "Umm…" I didn't know my Greek gods or goddesses. Oops? "Who do you want me to sacrifice it to?" His eyes lit up and he instantly said, "Hermes." I smiled and repeated, "Hermes."

He returned the smile and we walked back to the table. I took a bite and carefully gauged the crowd's feelings. This time, they didn't even look at me funny, and I happily enjoyed the rest of my meal. "You know, you can stop and drink, right?" I looked over to the boy, but he hadn't spoken. Someone tapped my shoulder and I looked over. It was Damian.

I swallowed my food. "I didn't know they were serving drinks." His smooth laughter brought several girls' attention. Now I saw how he played. He was one of those "ladies' man."

He tapped one of the goblets. "They're magic. Say what you want, and it'll appear. It never runs out." I looked at him suspiciously, but he didn't waver. I thought about his comment. "Water."

The simple command filled the cup instantly with water. Other kids eyed me like I was an alien. "Water," Damian laughed. I turned and looked at him straight in the eye. "Is there a problem?" My question cut through his laugh to a stop. For a moment, his cool façade slipped, but he regained it quickly. "Out of all the things to choose, you choose water?" I searched his face thoroughly, but only found amusement. "Kid, where I come from, water is all you needed and all you ever searched for." His composure quickly melted into a scowl. "Kid? I'm at least 4 inches taller than you." I studied him for a moment and smirked. "I can see it in your eyes. You have a newer soul. Mine? It's been reborn into new bodies thousands of times, because I already knew what pain felt like, even before I lived on the street."

I was standing up now, staring at him. We were nose-to-nose. "Oh really? And what does that have to do with anything," he growled. I laughed. "Do you really want to go toe-to-toe with me pretty boy?" He growled in response, seeming to restrain himself from punching me. "Enough!" Chiron's voice cut through our verbal battle. "You will eat at _your_ tables." We opened our mouths to argue, but Chiron beat us to it. "Now." We grumbled our assent and sat down at our tables. People stared at me, but I ignored them. I finished the rest of my meal, and left the dining pavilion.

I wondered around the camp, drifting from place to place. Campers and satyrs sent me questioning looks, but I ignored them. Did this place not have a lake or something of the sort? After 10 minutes of more walking, I found something better than a lake.

I found a beach and gravitated towards it. I sat down and took in a cleansing breath. Being by the water always calmed me, whether it was a river, lake, or a beach. There was just a sense of security they built within me.

The lapping of the ocean and the starry sky made a calming effect on me. My eyelids felt heavy and I was about to doze off, when a body plopped down next to me. I lazily glanced over and found Damian sitting next to me. Anger filled my body again and I turned to him. When I was about to give him a piece of my mind (possibly including some curse words), I stopped.

He was staring at me and blushed when I turned to him. He looked awkwardly out at the sea. He finally spoke up, "Just came to say sorry." I looked at him disbelievingly. He turned his head and our eyes met. I saw sincerity in his eyes and accepted his apology. "It's alright. Besides, I kind of blew up in your face back there."

He nodded, "You said 'Living on the streets.' What did you mean?" The question was like a punch in the gut and my jaw clenched. "I mean you don't have to answer," he backed off. I blew hair out of my face. I guess he was a good guy- living on the streets you had to have a good sense of character. The question was, how much of my life should I spill to him?

_**Damian's POV**_

I saw her considering the question, and for the first time, I could take a look at her. She had wavy jet black hair that cascaded down over her shoulders. She wore an oversized sweater, skinny jeans, and some combat boots. All day she looked tense, but now by the sea, she looked relaxed.

She was absent-mindedly twirling her hands in the sand. She turned and studied me with her crystal clear sea blue eyes with flecks of emerald-green in them. Her eyes were almost entrancing and hypnotic. I shook my head and ruffled my hair under my snapback. I lazily placed my snapback on my head and it tilted to one side.

"Well… Something happened and…" Her voice trailed off. It didn't look like she was going to tell me any time soon. "So what h-"

"Am I interrupting something?" I looked to see that it was April who cut me off. Stephanie looked relieved to find that April was here. "Nah. I'll be going now," I grumbled. I walked away, shoving my hands in my pockets.

I arrived at my cabin door and pushed it open. Perfume and cologne hit me and I felt nauseous. Not that I couldn't handle it, but my siblings tended to get out of control with the stuff. I shook my head violently and managed to clear my head.

"Hey Damian."

I turned to see a girl. She was twirling her hair around with her finger and batting her eyelashes. Great… Another one of these girls. "Hey!" I managed to sound upbeat. She took this as a good sign and stepped closer. A wave of perfume rolled over me and I could tell she doused herself in perfume just like my siblings did. "So, I was wondering if we could… Hang out," she purred. I shook my head, "No thanks." Her face filled with rage. "I'm the best looking girl in camp that isn't the daughter of Aphrodite! Do you want to date one of your sisters? Do you know how extremely gross that is? Ew!" She shrieked, stomping away. I rolled my eyes and entered the Aphrodite cabin.

My half-sisters were dabbing at their faces with make-up, while my half-brothers were posing in front of mirrors. My siblings were _so_ conceded.

I flopped down on my pastel blue and green bed that matched the curtains. Instantly Drew came over to bug me. "Damian, your shirt is wrinkled. Why aren't you wearing cologne? Your hair's a mess," she shrieked in a distraught way. "Go change, put your cologne on, and comb your hair!" I didn't bother to get up; we went through this every day. My siblings began to murmur among themselves: "Drew's losing her touch." "Maybe she isn't a daughter of Aphrodite after all?" "He's so dead."

Drew stomped her feet and pouted in frustration. "Why doesn't my charmspeak ever work on you," she screamed. I sat up in my bed and gave her a lop-sided grin. "Guess I'm special." She narrowed her eyes and looked like she was about to hit me. Instead she stormed off using her charmspeak and commanding the rest of our siblings to follow her: "We need to leave Damian alone!"

I knew she was trying to make me feel left out. Ever since I came to camp, she's been trying to compete with me. The girls always came to me, but she had to go to the boys. Her charmspeak never works on me, but sometimes my charmspeak works on her. She states that our mother loves her the most, but I've had mother's blessing often and for long periods of time. I could tell why she would be jealous of me, but I don't want to compete with her. I would rather be and Ares's kid or Apollo's kid! All Aphrodite does is show off her looks and spend each night with a different man in her bed. I guess that's how I came to be…

I rubbed my hand over my face and let out an air of frustration. My basketball rolls out from under my bed and I pick it up. I throw my basketball in the air and start to think. Something was bothering me and it had to do with the new camper: Stephanie. Then it hits me; Stephanie was the only girl who wasn't fawning over me. In fact she looks pretty pissed off every time I come around.

The door opened and Piper stumbled in. She had a dazed look and flopped down on her bed. She sighed contently and gazed at the ceiling. "So… Had some 'private time with Jason' I'm guessing." I flashed her a lop-sided smile and she smiled back. "Shut-up." We shared a laugh and lay back down on our bed. "What's on your mind?" I got up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "That obvious," I asked Piper. She gives a burst of laughter and sits up. Our eyes meet, and we quietly study each other.

Piper was like a true sister to me. She was just like me, an Aphrodite's kid that didn't want attention. We'd rather be children of Demeter than stand around and look pretty. "So what is it? Are you going to tell me or not," she asked again. I scratched the back of my neck and let my hand fall to my lap. "Well it's about the new camper. She's different, and it bugs me." The feeling was like walking into a classroom and your teacher rearranged the desks. I _hated_ that feeling.

"You're thinking about a _girl_ camper because she's _different_," she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah… I mean no… I mean maybe?" She eyed me suspiciously and laughed softly. "So this girl. What's her name?"

"Stephanie."

"Are there any other reasons why you're thinking about her?" I frowned in confusion and I looked over to her, and she had a sly smile on her face. "And what exactly are you implying," I asked in bewilderment. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes that the Hermes kids always had. "Oh nothing. You up for a game of basketball?" Grabbing my basketball, I give a curt nod and we race outside.

Camp didn't have a proper basketball court, so we played on the other side of the cabin. Piper and I managed to convince some of the Hermes kids to sneak in a basketball hoop, and they did. Of course you can't hide something that big from everyone, and Chiron eventually found out. He was 'mad' at first, but let us keep it. Piper and I've played on it ever since. Even though Piper was terrible at basketball, she was getting better, but she still wasn't as good as me. She did get a few shots in from time to time.

Right now it was 20 to 3. I made a dunk and raised my score to 22. "Alright!" I yelled in accomplishment. Piper rolled her eyes. "That's enough. Hey Jason," she greeted. She ran over to 3 people and flung her arms around Jason. I frowned in disappointment. Jason and Piper left, hand in hand. That left two other girls, April and Stephanie. April seemed to look at me and nervously walked away, leaving a confused Stephanie behind.

"Hey Stephanie!" I shouted. She turned and spotted me. "Come here!" She considered it and casually walked to me. "What do you want," she asked me when she was close enough. "Way to be nice and not rude," I teased. She rolled her eyes and snorts. "Whatever. What do you want," she repeated. "A game of basketball?" I dribble the ball and she puts on a Cheshire cat grin.

* * *

**So whaddya think? Good, bad, mediocre? Thanks for reviewing and please, if it's not to hard to click a button, review! AGAIN, I'm working on a series of one-shots between Percy and Annabeth, and Percy and Artemis... But they're Christmas related so... Yup, you're gonna have to wait I guess... Unless you want them now of course, you could leave that in your review, or PM me.**

**P.S.- Just leave a review ppppppllllllllleeeeeeeaaaaassssssseeeeeeeeeee! You DO NOT even have to have an account to review! I really need the feedback, and the support is nice too... Hehe... I would at least like 5 reviews per chapter if not more... Thanks again, and pretty pretty please with a cherry on top tell others about my story! I definitely did see a spike in the people viewing my stories. So yup... Thanks.**


	5. Capture the Flag Goes Haywire

**Hello my p-oh-ples! Due to my laziness and Thanksgiving break, I have not posted in forever! So I present to you Chapter 5. I'm writing Christmas special one-shots and writing this. Writing-block comes up every once in a while, so I need some ideas! PM me or leave it in your review! And I'm thinking about changing my name… My original username was a play on my real name but I was thinking about changing it to Mort Dans La Nuit, Death In The Night in French/français. Whaddya think? And sadly, it isn't Thanksgiving anymore, and I wrote it during Thanksgiving so, the characters are going through Thanksgiving… Don't hate me… Deal with it!**

_**Capture the Flag Goes Haywire**_

_**Damian's POV**_

She was winning by two points. Two! I can't lose to a girl! And then time was up. "Haha! I win," she squealed in delight. We were both panting, and I smiled in grudge admiration. "Not bad, not bad," I muttered. "Not bad? I whooped your butt," she celebrated. "By two points," I countered. She rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. "Still won," she said. This time I let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah whatever! Beat you next time," I taunted. She let out a snort of derision and walked away. "See you later."

Again left alone. Yay (note the sarcasm there)!

I let out a breath of frustration and combed through my hair with my fingers. Well I could always go to the Archery Field to train. Or maybe I could go canoeing with the water naiads. Or maybe to the Sword Arena. Or climb the Lava Wall. Well, I haven't been to the Archery Field in a while. Making my decision, I started my walk over there.

"So, you finally decided to join us," Chiron observed. "Umm… Sorry Chiron." He gave a chuckle and shook his head. "Sorry indeed. What if you need archery skills in combat? Yes, then you will be sorry."

The class gave a boisterous laughter as well and I shot them a look; some stopped, but others continued. "Well, I believe to actually get better at archery; you're going to have to practice. Bows and quivers are over there." He nods his head to a rack of where bows were slung and quivers were discarded. I walked over and picked the equipment up and walked back to Chiron. "Have you been ignoring this class for so long that you forgot what to do?" Again there was laughter rippling through the group. I scowled and Chiron laughed. "Line up with the others. Follow what I say after that." Nodding my understanding, I did as I was told.

"Okay class! Draw back and shoot!" My past training took over. I drew the bowstring back until it touched my cheek. I slowed my breathing and focused on my target. I let go and the arrow thudded into the target.

"Haha! Damian _sucks_ at archery!" one of the Apollo kids sneered. I glanced over at his target and he got a bullseye.

Curse that kid.

"Well, I can only be so good at something." He laughs again along with his idiotic friends. "Enough! Draw again and shoot!"

We glared at each other and followed Chiron's instructions. We continued our routine: the Apollo kid hitting the bullseye, and me hitting everywhere but the bullseye. "Okay class. This session is over!" I was sweating from the physical exhaustion. I put my stuff away and walked to where I was going to next.

* * *

Over the years, we added improvements to the Lava Wall. We expanded it, added flaming fireballs, and made the thing shake every once in a while. More demigods were getting hurt but, hey, all of us were greatly improving.

I walked up to it, and the heat got to me first. I staggered back and took off my jacket. I laid it down on the ground and did a few stretches. Once I rolled my shoulders, I walked up to the wall. I put on my harness and hooked the safety line to me. Gripping the first hold I got, I managed to heave myself up. Immediately fireballs shot at me. I desperately maneuvered out-of-the-way, but then the thing started shaking. My grip started to loosen, but I held on. A girl already beat me, there's no way I was going to let a wall beat me!

More fireballs came at me. I dodged left and right, making my way up at the same time. The wall shook again and my foot slipped. I hung there precariously. My strength was fading fast. My fingertips ached and my forearms started to hurt. I heaved myself up and found my footing again. I rested the best a person could do on a rock climbing wall. I gained back my breathing and started climbing again. Dodging and weaving my way up, I finally made it.

I sat on top of the wall, heaving and panting. "Whoohoo, beat that climbing wall!" Okay, not exactly my best accomplishment, but _pretty _close. I descended the wall by jumping repeatedly against it. My feet finally touched the ground and I let out a breath of relief. That stupid wall was conquered!

With a satisfied smile, I walked away. Now it was time for the Thanksgiving feast!

_**Stephanie's POV**_

Well, supposedly today is Thanksgiving! Being alone for three years, you kind of forget Thanksgiving, because you don't have anything to be grateful for. Unless being alive counts…

April rushed me along to dinner shouting, "Hurry up! We're going to have a lot of fun!"

Not like the food was going anywhere.

I blundered along behind her, stumbling into the Dining Pavilion. I swear there was at least twice the food there! There were pies, turkeys, ice cream, and caramel apples! My stomach started to growl. The sad thing was we weren't the first there. There were other campers gobbling down the food like there was no tomorrow! April and I shared a mischievous grin and dove into the pile of food.

Slowly more and more campers were having the feast with us. Happy giggles and cheerful laughter filled the air. Lively gossip was exchanged and even the crowded Hermes table I was sitting at didn't seem so bad. Then Chiron's voice cut through and silenced everybody's conversation. "In 20 minutes' time we will have an extra game of Capture the Flag for the week! But until then, all of you may eat at one another's tables!"

Cheers resonated throughout the pavilion. Almost instantly the pavilion buzzed with life. Plates and goblets clanked against the tables as the campers moved to new tables.

I helplessly looked around as the environment changed. "Hey Stephanie! Come over here and sit with us!"

I looked to see April waving me over. I carried my plate and goblet over to her table. I plunk myself in front of her and smiled gratefully. "Hey April! Thanks for the invitation."

She smiles in return and laughs. "Of course! You don't have to be so formal though! You've met Jason before," she said, nodding to Jason. "But you didn't properly meet Piper," she introduced, gesturing to a girl nest to Jason.

She looked like a Cherokee girl with warm caring brown eyes. She looked like a very beautiful girl, but it seemed like she tried to hide it. She had a tomboyish style and look.

"Well nice to meet you Piper!" I gave her a smile which she returned.

"And that is Damian," April continued, pointing at Damian. "We've met," I replied. "And everybody this is Stephanie." "Hello," the three replied. "Nice to meet you again," I said. Everybody laughed warmly. "Well let's say what we're grateful for. It is Thanksgiving after all. Jason you first," April chirped.

He scrunched up his face in thought and then smiled. "I'm grateful to have an amazing girlfriend: Piper!"

Piper blushed and responded, "I'm grateful for Jason. He's so caring!" They looked like they were about to kiss, but April stopped them. "OK guys. Damian, your turn." Damian rests his head in his hands. "Food." A mumble of agreement went around the table. Being teenagers, we were hungry 24/7. "Okay, my turn. I'm grateful for friends," April announced. "And finally Stephanie."

All eyes turned towards me and I sat there thinking. "Being alive." Laughter resonated around the table and I managed a weak smile. If they thought that was a joke then, hey, I wasn't complaining. Just as April opened her mouth, Chiron beat her to it. "Capture the Flag is now commencing!"

It was hectic after that. Everybody was getting ready for Capture the Flag, except for the Aphrodite kids.

"Okay! Keep the maiming to the minimum! I don't have the patience nor do I have the time to fill out paperwork if that happens. The river is the boundary between territories. Carry the other team's flag across the river to win!"

The majority of the group didn't listen, but I was all ears. Maiming, really? The rest of the group didn't seem affected, but I was catatonic. I'd like to keep all my limbs!

The group dispersed and seemed to automatically split itself in half. I blinked in confusion; where was I supposed to go? Then a young voice spoke up, "Hey! You can be on our team!" I turned to the voice, grateful for my rescuer. I found that it was the little Hermes kid I met before. "Hiya! Who are you?"

I laughed at the little kid's straightforwardness. "Stephanie. And you?" He gave me a toothy grin and puffed his chest up in pride. "It's Nathan!" I smiled and kneeled, facing him. "Well nice to meet you Nathan! How old are you?" I asked. "Seven," he replied proudly.

My mouth opened in shock. They were going to let a little kid get chopped to pieces? Just to make sure I asked, "Are you playing?" He nodded enthusiastically.

Uh, oh.

I bit the bottom of my lip. I noticed Annabeth a walked over to her. "Psst! Annabeth!" She glanced up and then refocused on strapping on her armor. "Annabeth," I hissed. She finally focused on me. "What," she asked, slightly annoyed. "Is Nathan really going to play?" She smirked and let out a chuckle, "I wouldn't worry about Nathan. I'd worry about you."

I blinked in confusion. "What?"

She shook her head in mock worry. "Remember that Ares kid you messed with?" I opened my mouth in protest, but she continued. "Well he has an older sister, and there's no telling on what she's going to do." She laughed – probably from the expression on my face. "I thought you took care of that problem!" She shook her head in amusement. "You can't control an Ares kid. They're made for war." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and let out a breath of frustration.

As if on cue, a blonde-haired girl with piggy-tails came up to me. She had an innocent smile on as she skipped to me. "Hi!" Her energy caught me off guard. "I heard you're the one who beat up my little brother."

"Umm…" I scanned the area and found the Ares boy smirking at me. _When I get my hands on him! _

"I'll give you one warning." Her voice caught my attention once more. Her hand shot out with lightning speed and caught the collar of my t-shirt. She twisted it in her grip, making me face her. "Stay away from my brother and maybe I won't tear your guts out."

Her eyes flashed dangerously, and I would've sworn it turned a blood-red color. "Well, tell your brother to stay away from me and we won't have any problems," I spat. She gave me a smug look and scoffed. She shoved me to the ground and skipped away as if nothing happened.

"Well that was amusing." I recognized Annabeth's voice and heaved myself up to my feet. "Thanks for helping me." Her face melted into mock concern. "Oh, did she hurt you?"

I crossed my arms and replied, "Besides a bruised butt, I'm fine." She laughed, "Well too bad. Time to move on."

"Okay! Let the game begin!"

Annabeth grabbed my wrist, and took off.

* * *

We arrived next to a pile of boulders with other campers. "Alright group! Huddle up!"

We huddled around and Annabeth started spouting words.

"Okay! Same as usual, but now we have Stephanie. Typically its Ares, Hephaestus, Dionysus, half of the Hermes cabin vs. Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, and the other half of the Hermes cabin. There aren't many campers for the minor gods and goddesses, so they split up among the two sides. Obviously, the Ares kids are going to come in one big group in the offense. The Hephaestus kids are setting up booby traps. The other kids are wild cards. On our team, the Apollo kids are on defense in the trees. The Stolls will be on guard duty. I'll take Stephanie, April and Nathan. Jason, Piper and Damian are together. So here's the plan."

Annabeth started drawing in the dirt and explaining our plan. Jason seemed to be the only one intent on the plan. I kinda zoned out but snapped back to attention when I heard, "Got it?"

There were half-hearted agreements and Annabeth shook her head. "This is hopeless." The Stolls snickered. "Let's go."

Nathan, April, and I followed Annabeth into the dense forest. We made our way, stumbling over roots. "Could you three be any louder?" Annabeth asked in annoyance. "Yup," came Nathan's happy reply. He breathed in to yell, but I clamped my hand over his mouth. "Nathan. Not cool, alright man?" He nodded and his mouth shifted under my hand – I could only guess that it was a smile. I hesitantly removed my hand and, for the rest of the way, he didn't make a peep.

"Stop," Annabeth hissed. We crouched next to her behind a bush. We peered over and saw the river.

Great, right? One problem: a couple of mean looking kids were there. "Ares kids? Seem like they finally changed their tactics. Looks like Jason and Piper are going to have some trouble."

The two talked softly among themselves. "Okay, here's the plan. I'll distract those two and you sneak past them." Before I could say anything, Annabeth snuck around to some other bushes and emerged from them. "So two Ares kids I take it?" They growled in response and smirked. "So you two are put on post? Not _moving _anywhere are you?"

The signal couldn't have been more obvious, but for some Ares kids, it didn't mean anything. April nudged me and I took Nathan's hand, quietly getting out of the bushes. We managed to get past the river. We tip-toe to the edge of the forest. Annabeth continued to babble, somehow keeping the Ares kids' interest.

Rustling came from a bush in front of us and drew my attention. Two red eyes peered out at us and we froze. I started to tug Nathan away from the mysterious creature but he wouldn't budge. The creature came out, growling in anticipation. It eyed us hungrily; I was afraid that it was eyeing Nathan as an appetizer and April and I would be the main meal.

It lunged at Nathan, but I interfered. I kicked it away 3 yards, and it hit the ground. I had no idea how I managed to do that, the thing was _huge. _It growled, its eyes growing a bright scarlet. Annabeth and the two Ares campers noticed our predicament. "What the Hades is that thing?"

The two Ares kids readied their weapons, though I didn't think that would do any damage. "It's a hellhound and that's the biggest I've ever seen since…" Her eyes bugged out. "Mrs. O'Leary!"

The thing froze and started to pant like an innocent puppy. _No Mrs. O'Leary! Come back here, _a voice echoed in my head. I looked around in bewilderment, searching for the mysterious voice but found nothing. _Go get Stephanie! _the voice continued. The hellhound growled and directed its cold eyes toward me again.

It tackled me into the water, and I held my breath. We wrestled in the water, but it held me under. My lungs burned for air, but I suppressed the feeling. Dark walls started to enclose in on my vision and I couldn't take it any longer.

I took a deep breath of water and found that I didn't choke on it.

_Come on girl! Bring her to mommy!_

A large wave rolled over us, making us tumble through the water. We landed into the shade and Mrs. O'Leary was the first to get up. It picked me up by the collar and leaped into he air. Its paws landed where the ground and the base of a tree met.

Instead of stopping, we continued into the ground. It wasn't like quicksand; it was more like getting sucking into a hole at lightning speed. We disappeared and entered a realm of darkness.

* * *

**So how was it? Sorry I didn't update it in like forever :'( ! So whaddya think? Review, favorite, follow, and PM me! Now this is a Pertemis story, I PROMISE! Just bear with me please. Artemis and Percy are going to be introduced in the next couple of chapters, and some Pertemis some more after that... Come one, give me a break XD! Luvs you all,**

**cruelnat (possibly Mort Dans La Nuit in the near future)**


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